


History. A mess in constant need of repairs.

by GiblyGuy



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dragon Ball Xenoverse, F/M, Gen, Headcanon Accepted, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-09-07 07:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16850011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiblyGuy/pseuds/GiblyGuy
Summary: Each great story has a rough begining. This one is about four Time Patroller trainee who will have to fight their way to the top. All the while dealing with their own problems and the responsability of maintaining that hot mess called "History".





	1. Onward, Young Patrollers !

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there !  
> It's my first work on this website and i'm gladly presenting you with it's first chapter. It's kinda short but I wanted to take my time slowly exposing you the characters and the story instead of shoving everything right off the bat. I'm a french guy and it's a first for me to write entirely in english. So excuse me in advance if I'm leaving some hiccups here and there, i'm also doing it to improve myself. Therefore i'm entirely open to constructive criticism.  
> But enough with that.
> 
> Good readings, in hope that'll appreciate it !

The business district was usually crowded at morning for various reasons. One of them being that the opening hours of all the shops always had discount to maximise profit early on. Considering that the time patrol was always frequenting the area at any given time to prepare for their missions, such a deal was a way to fidelize them. The other main reason was the procession of students going to the Orange Star high school. Saiyans, majins, human, namekian and frost demons were there. Of different size and colors, they were all donning a badge arboring the emblem of the school somewhere on their clothes. The wave of first years students arrived for the beginning of their second month of formation, separating into classes in the front yard before entering the building. All seemed to be in order as one of the class entered it’s usual room under the eyes of their professor. After the classroom was filled and everyone sat at their place the professor, Mister Shouga, faced them all. The round green Majin of a professor stood behind his desk and smiled gleefully at the class.

 

\- Good morning everyone !   
\- Good morning sir !

 

The professor nodded before taking a pile of paper on his hand and waving it a bit. The students became silent, filled with a mixture of anticipation and fear. Theses papers were the final exams they passed to get an active Patroller license. Contrary to the physical tests this was easily the more difficult part of the finals. All for one, single, reason: History.

History of the whole main timeline is to be known by any Patroller by heart. Every details and date are to be memorized with almost religious devotion. To top it all of written and physical exam didn’t had much breathing room between one another. Leading them to make  compromises on one of those fields or even on both. It was still possible to pass with some lacks of knowledge (especially when regarding the entire multiple Timeline mess that is the Cell era) but too much and it would be hardly punished. The Professor then proceed to put the copies inside individual folders with names on it and throwing them to the corresponding student.

Sat next to each other, A female majin and a male Frost demon caught their respective folder effortlessly. The majin had a milky white skin and his antennae were tied into a long ponytail on the back of her head, leaving only one antenna over her left eye. She was wearing a sort of an oriental style, black with blue lining, jacket over a blue piece of clothing covering her chest but leaving her stomach area, along with her muscles, visible. Around her neck was a thin blue scarf. Completing the outfit was the usual baggy pants that most majin would wear, this one being black with a blue belt, and a pair of white fighting boots. She opened her envelope without any care in the world and looked rapidly the results. Her stern expression morphed into a full smile accompanied by a sigh of relief.

 

\- I got it ! How about you Kurogane ?

 

Next to her the small Frost demon (one head shorter than her), put a foot on the long desk and raised his paper with his red aura almost flaring up. 

 

\- I freaking nailed it !

 

Kurogane had a slim built that complemented his little size. The rare bio armor was of a dark grey tint while the exposed skin was brownish red. The glass part were deep purple while his pupils looked like two drop of gold. His appearance was pretty minimalistic compared to some frost demon on the class. His size combined with the absence of spike, horns or any excess of armor made him stood out like a sore thumb amongst all the other. Seeing his professor looked at him with piercing eyes, he sat down as fast as he could while showing the paper to Marble, pointing the 50/100 circled with red ink. He had surely done compromise here because he passed the physical with flying color. Both of them did in fact. The majin glanced at the rest of the class, to discover that only two other succeeded. After leaving several minute left for the student to stomach either their success or failure, Mr Shouga raised his hand to demand silence.

 

\- Now now. Everyone who failed the finals will have a entire week before your retake. This’ll be your last chance so make it count ! 

 

The major part of the class let out a muffled response while looking down on their desk. 

 

\- Now for the graduates.  _ He looked on the clock behind him.  _ You’ll wait outside on the backyard for a Patroller to pick you up and explain everything to you.

 

Those concerned stood up and climb down to get next to the Professor desk. They lined up next to the door and bowed to their professor. Kurogane slightly pulled at Marble’s jacket using his tail and whisper to her.

 

\- Thanks for the study session by the way...it greatly helped  
\- Pay me something to eat and we’re even.  _ She said with a smile _  
\- Count on me ! 

 

Mr Shouga glanced at the frost demon and elongated an arm to whack his head. Kurogane left out a muffled cough before apologizing silently. After that the round green gum let them lift up and kept a smile while talking with an unusual solemn tone.

 

\- You’re now on your way to protect time itself. Danger will meet your way but as long as you remember your training and that you keep on working hard you will be fine. Now go ! Go and make all Conton city proud of you !  
-Yessir !  _ Everyone said _

  
  


* * *

  
  


The graduated just made their way to the training field behind the complex to be greeted with the sight of another class following a namekian patroller out of the campus, crossing their path. Waiting for the patroller supposed to accompany them they settled next to the lawn next to the fields to rest. Kurogane hovered for awhile over the ground before sitting down, followed by Marble who sat next to him. He would put one hand on the smooth translucent glass dome on his head while smiling to her.

 

\- After all that studying i’m happy to finally be able to practice a bit.  
\- It hasn’t been that long since the physical exam you know ?  
\- Two weeks is enough time to get rusty. And admit that you miss throwing a punch at my general direction. 

 

She looked a bit surprised, she then hold her chin between her thumbs and her index finger while looking up. Then she simply shrugged, smiling. 

 

\- What I do miss is an actual challenge.   
\- Ouch. Now you’re just being a bitch.   
\- For you it’ll be Queen Bitch sir.  
\- Marry a king and maybe, just maybe I’ll call you a queen.  
\- Ugh. As if I'd do that   
\- Don’t get your hopes up, you’d still be a bitch.  
\- Fine by me, at least I’d rather be that than a dick

 

They would laugh it out while an imposing Namekian rolled his eyes at the spectacle they made.A skin of a darker green than usual, donning a regular brown Namekian garment.  Easily a head taller than Marble, she recognized him easily. His name was Païkle and he was no pushover. Even if he wasn’t that strong in term of raw strength he displayed a large array of skill and showed that he was a fast thinker. No wonder he passed the exam without that much problem. Snapping her out of her inspection of the silent namekian, a woman got right in front of her, waving a monkey tail. A saiyan. 

 

\- Can I interrupt you two lovebirds for a moment ?   

 

The Majin took some time to process what the Saiyan just said. She looked at Kurogane, then to the Saiyans before feeling her cheeks becoming slightly red. 

 

\- W-We are not...

  
  


Kuro intervened right before she could talk any further, standing up as he locked eye contact with the girl.

 

\- We’re not dating.  
\- Oh, ok. You’re not making that clear to everyone though.   
\- So what do you want ?  
\- You must be Kurogane.  
\- Yes. And you are…?

 

The Saiyan extended her hand with a serious look on his face. Kuro shook her hand while inspecting her. She was wearing a new school set of Frieza force’s armor without the shoulder pads and the skin tight suit that's supposed to be underneath. The usually green parts of the armor and the boots here were bronze. She had the White glove and boots with some kind of lining and made from a seemingly less flexible material. Plate of armor where covering her knees and elbows and she had some kind of long trunks going down to mid thighs. Her haircut was a mess of spike strand focalized on the left side of her head, with three little one standing upward above the left half of her forehead. Her eyes were a blue coloration. Certainly contact lens, a lot of Saiyan here were using them to give themselves more personality or appeal.

 

\- The name's Corrind. Nice to meet you.   
\- Me too...How do you know me by the way ?  
\- You got quite the performance at the physical exam. I thought it could be fun to do a bit of sparring at the ocasion.   
\- Well, why not ? 

 

She crossed her arms with a little smile on her face.

 

\- Do you have any other form than this one ?  
\- Well I’m working on it. I’m not sure about how it would look like and how to pull it off.  
\- So you...only got one ?  _ Corrind was visibly intrigued at the prospect. _  
\- Yeah, like every young Arcosian here. Is it so unusual to you ?  
\- A bit. It’s something your race is known for and you actually look a lot like Friez...

 

A red aura begun to manifest around the Arcosian, making the saiyan flinch and step back

 

\- Don’t ! Ever ! Say that again !  
\- Wow ! Ok no need to get upset ! Sorry.

  
  


The aura stopped right away with a frustrated sound from Kuro that sat down farther than where he initially was. Marble shook her head when the Saiyan tried to reach to him, stopping her. She then raised her knee up to her chest, wrapped her arm around and looked at Païkle.

 

\- So you’re the one who got perfect score in every written assignment.

 

That simple statement almost made the eyes of the two other students pop out of their skulls. The extra attention made Païkle somewhat uncomfortable and he turned away his eyes. Anyone knew he wasn’t much of a talker and was also not the social kind. Which was a bit stereotypical of most namekian in Conton City and in general. The fact that he wouldn’t hang out with a single classmate. However for some paradoxical magic he was pretty good at all the teamwork trials that paved their formation. 

 

\- Yes, and it’s not that much. I simply worked hard for it.   
\- It is much ! You don’t have to downplay it for us.   
\- That wasn’t my intention.   
\- Then don’t humble yourself.  _ She gave him a smile and a thumbs up _ . We all got selected for a reason right ?  
\- You are indeed right.  

 

A silence settled when they would finally spot a fast dot of blue ki flying right to their campus. Corrind was the first one to see it and they all lined up to welcome their new instructor. They looked his silhouette quickly coming down to the ground right in front of them raising a gush of wind as he landed. His presence alone was pretty intense even though they couldn’t see him. When the dust finally settled, they were greeted by the sight of a bare chested, white haired Saiyan before them. Wearing a golden detector on his right eye that shined brightly in the morning sun. 

 

Giving them a stern look, he talked with a calm yet imposing voice.

 

\- Is that all ?

  
  
  


 

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. A whole new world (and a dangerous one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The white haired Saiyan came to face his new students with a challenge. Maybe their hardest one yet. Will they be up for it ?

No words got out of their mouths as they gazed at the older Saiyan, taking a better look at him. Straps were wrapped around his biceps, a pairs of fingerless glove on his hands. White pants supported by a black belt covered his legs down to the ankle. His feet were hidden by black socks underneath a pair of ninja style sandals. His silver hairs were wild, as expected from a saiyan, and consisted of medium size spike going upward in every direction. A well groomed goatee fused with his mustache was emphasizing his veteran look. Corrind thought to herself that he probably stole that facial hair from king Vegeta. Though she had to admit he was wearing it somewhat better. Finally his silver tail was simply wrapped around his abdomen, right above his belt. The golden shine of his scouter got the eyes of everyone. It was a precious item that not a lot of Patrollers could boast about possessing. Kurogane had a nervous tail twitch as he broke into a cold sweat. This man wasn’t an average saiyan Patroller and even without scouter they could feel how he was there even if they close their eyes.

 

\- I’ve asked something, didn’t I ?

 

The mesmerizing effect disappeared as his voice tore through the silence. He slowly raised his finger to designate Païkle who hold his gaze while the others shifted their eyes to look at him by following the finger. The Saiyan invited him to make a step forward, which the namekian proceeded to do. 

 

\- Isn’t there anyone else ?  
\- No sir.  _ He responded clearly _  
\- Only the four of you…

 

The silver haired warrior shrugged while sighing softly and resting his hands on his hips. 

 

\- Guess it can’t be helped. I’ll have to do with it. 

 

Was he disappointed ? Annoyed even ? It was hard to tell. The students approached the center of the fields where their new teacher was standing. He took a glance at each of them before looking at the building behind him. Was he….evaluating the distance ? Marble was convinced of it and she immediately knew what he was up to. A thought that she wouldn’t wait too long to confirm.

 

\- For the presentation my name is Figuea. I was handed your profiles and your final’s results beforehand so no need to present yourself. Two other students were supposed to be with you but I’ll have to see about those later.

 

He crossed his arms on his chest nonchalantly.

 

\- Right now we have some time before I have to guide you to your quarter. I’ll use it to evaluate your teamwork and individual strength.  
\- We’re gonna fight...here ?  _ Corrind asked with half a smile.  _

 

He nodded. There it was. Their first confrontation with someone who had more than a decent strength. A mix of excitement and nervosity took them. Even Païkle was a bit concerned by what was going to happen. But he remained the more cool-headed of the four with Marble being the close second. Corrind definitely got her saiyan blood boiling at the opportunity of fighting an elder. Kurogane looked at Païkle who nodded to him. They will have to work as a team on this one, otherwise they’ll got crushed. 

Figuea removed his scouter and put it in a capsule to sore it in some sort of little pouch lodged on the wrapping of his belt. All five of the student got in their fighting stance, side by side.

 

The Saiyan made one step.

 

In what could be perceived as a single second he got right in front of Païkle, who was the closest to him, and had his left fist close to his torso ready to be launched right on the namekian’s face. At this instant where Païkle got surprised he felt something surrounding his stomach before pulling him back. Marble had one of his arm used as a fishing rod to prevent their teacher to rid them of their brain. She knew that was his reasoning behind it and she wouldn’t let him have his way. Kuro jumped at the Saiyan the moment he was fully engaged in his movement, when he was limited in his movement, coming from his right. He dashed and spined to give himself momentum and extended a leg and the end of his movement as to hit Figuea’s face. A direct blow. 

From the periphery of his vision the arcosian saw a light emanating from the ground. He quickly realised what it was but was still repulsed back to the ground by the blast while the Elder was elevating rapidly. The bastard was a quick thinker. But shortly following him, Corrind jumped right at him with a ki ball in her hand. She left out a battle cry before releasing a blast by extending her arm. 

But she got too close. Figuea twist his upper body a bit to dodge while his left hand got a hold of Corrind’s wrist to assure that she wouldn’t change the direction her attack. His right knee only had to raise itself to hit her abdomen. She felt all the air escaping from her lungs when the Elder let go of her wrist to chop her right in the face, sending her back to the ground. Figuea tried to look below him but he felt two hand grabbing him and pulling him back to the ground. At a certain altitude Marble got above him in one swift jump and extended her arms to grab his wrists. The Namekian and the Majin were now holding him tight and close to the ground, facing the sky. Kurogane was now rushing to him with his red aura flaring up as he was about to punch him. 

 

\- Not bad kids… _ He said, smiling _

 

But suddenly the hands of the Makin exploded as two ki sphere formed around Figuea’s hand. He immediately used his hand now on the ground to kick his whole body backward as he dragged Païkle right where he was. All of it was so fast that the Namekian suffered from a full blown punch in the face from the Frost demon who didn’t had the time to pull back. Figuea got up and extended a palm which released a shockwave that sent Kuro and Païkle flying to the other end of the field.  Without pause he moved his head to the side to dodge a diving kick from Marble who got in front of him. She stood up and began flooding him with mid range punches, that he was blocking without breaking a sweat. While unleashing this barrage her brain was in overdrive trying to wrap itself around how fast this Patroller was. She risked a sneak peek behind her to see how the other were doing but had to face her opponent quickly. He had got a hold of her hand and was now looking right in her eyes.

 

\- You had a good timing but it’s not enough.  
\- It’s not over yet sir.  
\- Oh really ? What is giving you so much confidence ?   
\- Ladies are still on the field.  
\- Lad-ies… 

 

The instant he said it Marble flattened herself and spread her body like a parachute, blocking most of his view. He looked up to her. Bingo.

She made a hole right in front of him, revealing Corrind. Her face still red from the previous chop she received. She punched him right in the abdomen and he had to let go of Marble to block it. Corrind opened her fist to unleash a blast at point blank range. Using the wind generated and her parachute body, Marble backed off and regained her form at a safe range while Corrind jumped to her side. She was panting and her shoulders were waving at the uneven rhythm of her breathing. The Majin gave her a concerned look.

 

\- Are you ok ?  
\- Yeah… The gut punch didn’t helped… But i’m good.

 

The cloud of dust before her dissipated with a kiai of the teacher who was, pretty much, unscathed. Corrind was taken aback by the mere act of him nonchalantly removing dust from his pants by tapping it. 

 

\- Ok… now it’s ridiculous

 

Figuea generated a small ki ball on his right hand and was seemingly ready to throw it to them. The Saiyan once again saw a green arm emerging from the ground to shoot the Ki ball away from his hand. The attack elevated itself in the air before exploding. Païkle got up and was standing behind the two girls who looked at him with surprise. The previous punch left a good mark but he was fine at least. Kurogane got quickly into action as he launched himself to Figuea and started attacking him with persistence. Païkle let his arm regain its normal size and approached his two partners.

 

\- We need to hinder his movement and strike him with all we have.   
\- Yeah genius, like how you did previously ?  _ Corrind said with a stern voice. _  
\- Can we focus a bit ? Kuro won’t hold him much longer…  _ The Majin replied. _

 

As to emphasize what she said, they heard a grunt of pain from the little Arcosian as he got hit in the back as he was desperately trying to block some hit. Marble wanted to go help him but the namekian continued with his plan.

 

\- When he’ll be distracted i’ll use a Solar flare on him. Then Marble and I will restrain him the best we could while you blast him with all you have Corrind.   
\- Hm. I guess that I can do that. With Frosty’s help we should do some good damage.   
\- I only told him to distract our teacher. I’m not trusting him any more than that. 

 

The white Majin gave him a death stare that the namekian endured without flinching.

 

\- You’re using him just to buy us time ? Does he at least know the rest of your plan ?!   
\- Well no. He’s too impulsive to be given too much of a role.   
\- And who are you to decide that ?!   
\- Someone who saw him lose his cool over a simple remark. And before you add anything I don’t care about why he reacted that way. He should at least have acknowledged that we can not know what can trigger him and stop acting as a child.

 

The both of them stared at each other while Corrind witnessed the whole beatdown of Kurogane that couldn’t follow his teacher’s movement anymore. The blue eyed saiyan was left a moment before snapping out of her trance as her blue aura flared up. She then rushed to the Arcosian help while the namekian saw his plan crumbling at the seems. 

Corrind had to stop to catch her comrade that was tossed at her by the Elder who then proceed to blast both of them to the ground while she was distracted. He then dashed straight where the two other student were standing and crashed to the ground, separating them both. 

They barely had any time to stand up that they had to dodge several blue orbs, five each at least. The both leaped to Figuea’s only for him to move out of the way as they both collided with each other. Païkle shove the Majin back while frowning.

 

\- Mind where you go.  
\- I should be the one saying that !

 

They got into their fight that they didn’t pay any attention to their teachers clapping his hands together. Almost immediately the ten orbs came back right to them, surrounding the students before they had any chance of doing anything. An explosion send them flying upward before they tumbled to the ground with a loud thud. Figuea sighed loudly while looking at the sad spectacle. he made quite the damage on the fields and he’ll certainly have to respond to the director. He relaxed himself a bit before putting his scouter back on his face.

 

\- It begun pretty good but ended quite badly. Aren’t you agreeing Kiddo ?

 

He turned hi head to see Kurogane standing, breathing heavily after what happened. The saiyan had a wide smile on his face. At least this one was persistent enough. The Arcosian responded to his smile by a determined gaze. The both of them stayed like that before Figuea completely turned to face the young frost demon. He extended his arms as some sort of invitation. 

 

\- Your profile wasn’t lying at all.  
\- About… what sir…?

 

The white haired saiyan then spoke with some sort of an intrigued tone. 

 

\- You do look like him.

 

Again, he was compared to him. As always, HE was what people expected him to be. No matter how horrible HE was, arcosians had to bear the burden of the most infamous beings in history. And he was the more targeted out of all. People would make that comparison again and again until he had enough. And now even his profile had that ? Figuea felt the explosive aura enveloping the young one like never before. Letting out a cry of rage that shook the ground, Kurogane flew as fast as he could in the direction of the Elder. Figuea however saw the aura brutally losing more than half of it’s glow mid way. As expected he dodged the punch by merely taking a step back, taking Kuro by surprise. Figuea then took a step forward and simply karate-chopped him in the neck, knocking him down as the aura disappeared and the unconscious body fell on the ground. 

 

\- That was also mentionned.  _ The Saiyans almost whispered.  _

The calm came back as the Saiyan noticed the amount of students still inside the building, as well as some teachers, were pressing themselves against the windows to see what happened. At least the spectacle was good from an outside perspective. Figuea got another capsule from his belt and took out a little bag. He force fed the four of them with Senzu bean and they all got up. Their bodies were healed but it wasn’t hard to see that their morale were damaged. All lined up before him, Figuea faced them with a discontented look on his face. Respectively Païkle was standing to attention, Corrind had her arms crossed below her chest, Marble was sending death stares to the Namekian and Kurogane was looking the ground and clenching his fists. 

The Elder left them hanging for a while before finally talking. 

 

\- Well, there’s no way I can sugarcoat it: it was shit. 

 

All of them cringed a bit at the brutal summary of what just happened.

 

\- Now I saw a lot of things that could qualify you individually for higher mission than most. But it doesn’t excuse the poor display of teamwork I just witnessed. The only one who, I can say, only need training for her skill and not her attitude was Corrind.

 

He waved his hand at her, signaling her to approach. Which she did while still having a down face. The three left had to stand the gaze of their new teachers.

 

\- Tomorrow  I will get you into separate training routine to try and improve upon that mess. But I really want you to remember what I’m about to say: The further you’ll climb, the more you will need to work as a team. So either I’m able to make you better or you’ll have to revise your career ambitions downward. Am I clear ?  
\- Yes sir…  _ They said in unison. _

 

He raised his voice with a more severe tone.

 

\- Am I clear ?!   
\- Yes sir !   _ They repeated _  
\- Good. Now we’re going to your quarters. 

 

The nodded collectively and began following the Saiyan outside of the campus and through the Business district. They were looked at by pedestrians who were wondering why these students got their clothes partially ripped off. Eventually they would certainly link the explosion coming from behind the Orange Star High School and the little procession together. During their long walk Marble tried to talk to Kurogane without any response from him. He seemed upset and refused to even make eye contact with her. And she immediately blamed herself for not intervening back when he was being pummeled senseless. She stopped her attempt with guilt now on her shoulders. 

They got through the commercial center and made their way around the holographic fountain. The giant hologram change from one Patroller to another, and was showing an holographic scoreboard which was showing some names and number of case solved. Above a huge amount of other name, was their teacher’s. Païkle saw this and had another hint of the rank on which the elder saiyan stands. Even though it was hard to judge it solely with the Holo-Fountain it was at least a good indicator of how important he must be. But something that bugged him was that if he’s that strong then how come none of them ever heard of him before. Sure it was just his name on the board but that in itself was weird. Strong patrollers were known to the public because of their aspiring efforts. But he was a veteran saiyans, old enough to have his grey hairs and had seemingly succeeded a lot of mission. Païkle got it noted mentally, he had to ask him what that was all about may the occasion arise one day. 

They got under the imposing reception building where the first time machine was on display behind a glass pillar right in the middle of the structure. Figuea approached a teleporting bot who gleefully turned to him with an enthusiastic voice.  

 

\- Where do you want to go ?   
\- Custom location.  _ He simply asked. _  
\- Please register a code.  
\- Forty two.

 

The bot went silent for a moment, analyzing his demand before waving a hand as the group was slowly disappearing.

 

\- Have a wonderful day ! 

  
  


* * *

  
  


The travel was almost instantaneous. To the point where no one truly noticed they moved until they got next to another bot in a great square white room. The room was equipped with basic furniture in its right side. Including a table and seven chairs, drawers filled with dishes and kitchen wares for some and books or movies for others and finally an open kitchen separated from the rest of the room by a bar counter. A huge screen was hanging in the wall on their left, as the left area was basically made for resting with a long couch and some individual armchairs, all of them surroundings a glass coffee table.

Near the “living room” was a upward set of stairs ascending to the next floor while a door near the kitchen was labeled by a sign above it as a training room.  

 

\- This will be the place where you’ll live together for the time being.  _ Figuea said.  _ Everything here is designed for you to train and rest as efficiently as possible. Don’t worry about the food, it’s refilling automatically. But be careful with the machinery in the training room. They aren’t cheap. 

 

The group scattered a bit around the room to appreciate the place. It was spacious and regulated at the good temperature. Corrind pointed another doors in the back of the room. The sole nude wall in the room only had this pretty normal looking door in the middle of it. Figuea looked at it and shrugged at the female saiyan. 

 

\- You’ll get there tomorrow each at a time. Three hours with me. No more no less. 

 

He then approach the stairs as the others would follow him. They stepped into a long corridor with seven doors each widely apart from each other. By simply getting near the first of them they could see they were all labeled with the name of the intended inhabitant. The first name was Païkle’s. The Elder rested his hands on his hips and looked at his students.

 

\- For now you’re allowed to rest and take your marks. Tomorrow I’ll designate the order in which you’ll train with me. But until then have fun kids. 

 

He was about to leave them here, going to the end of the corridor when he stopped walking.

 

\- Before I forget the room are sound proof. With the size of them you don’t have to worry about neighborhoods. Take it as you want but I want you to be fresh and ready each morning so don’t go too crazy at night. 

 

He then took his leave, entering his room and closing the door behind him. Each of them took time to process what he just said. First in a purely efficient way, before thinking about other implication. Corrind raised an eyebrow as she spoke.

 

\- Did he just implied that we could…  
\- Yes. That’s what he had in mind.  _ Païkle stated.  _  
\- I don’t believe he had YOU in mind Pickle.  
\- My species doesn’t have that need. And you just mispronounced my name.  
\- Urgh. It’s called humour. Both words…  
\- ...Sounds the same therefore you switched them to mock said ressemblance. And you shouldn’t explain a joke, it’s ruining it. 

 

Corrind stared at him with a mix of surprise and annoyance. Païkle stayed unphased.

 

\- Holy Shenron dude you make it sounds even lamer than it was !  
\- Maybe. Now excuse me I will see how my room is. 

 

He left them, almost shoving them out of his way, even Kurogane who looked at him with rage filled eyes, by simply walking and entered in his rooms. Corrind shook her head in disbelief and elbowed Marble.

 

\- I hope all Namekians aren’t like that, right Marby ?  
\- Yes. I do hope too.   
\- And you got pretty lucky you know ?  
\- Yes ? How so ?  
\- Sound proof room ! You’ll have all the occasion in the world to…”chill out” if you catch my drift.  _ Corrind said with a playful grin. _

 

Marble’s expression got frozen, a little polite smile on her face. Corrind thought her teasing had no effect only to see the white gummy skin of her face turned to bright red. The Majin’s brain was all over the place and everything became kind of blurry around her. Why did she had all of these thought all of a sudden ? She had to defend herself. She waved her hand in front of her while pulling herself together enough to speak.

 

\- I-I have no such thoughts! We are simply friends ! Best friends !  
\- Oh come on. We all know how it goes: Best friends got really close to one another eventually.   
\- B-B-But n-not THAT close !   
\- In your case, considering all I’m seeing, I can say it’s even closer that it needs to.  
\- We are friends ! Right Kuro ?

 

When they turned their head to the Arcosian but he was already leaving without a word. The mood became heavier with the simple sound of his feet on the carpeted floor. Marble got back her pale skin and she looked visibly sad. The Arcosian wasn’t leaving because he was embarrassed and Corrind could feel that. She put a hand to Kurogane’s shoulder.

 

\- You could at least respond to her.  
\- Thank you Corrind. For back then.  _ He responded without turning back. _  
\- Why you...

 

She let go of him, knowing he won’t respond. Kuro got into his room in silence. He was genuine with his thanks, it was certain. But now, even more by seeing Marble looking down at the ground, she was feeling guilty for receiving it. And guilty for teasing her about them while the whole situation at the school fields certainly left the Frost demon with some kind of grieves. The main culprit being Païkle using him to win against someone so strong. And Marble confrontation with the namekian dragged her into that mess. Corrind had now to deal with a downed girl and she got to her immediately. The Saiyan patted the majin’s shoulder as she was trying her best to be compassionate.

 

\- Hey. Don’t worry about that dork...He’s just upset. It’ll go away.  
\- Thank you Corrind…  
\- Oh please, you sound just like him when you say that.

 

The pale Majin lowered her head even more. She fucked up. Now she was making her friend think she was refusing her thanks.

 

-  Hey um...You’re welcome.

 

Marble raised her head and smiled at her. At least it was better now. Corrind stayed with her with comforting words for a bit before the gummy girl would eventually heads off to her room. She waved her hand at the Saiyan before closing the door. She then stayed in the corridor and sighed before finding her own door. She turned the doorknob and stepped into the room.

Their teacher wasn’t lying about the dimension, it was huge. Rectangular in shape, she was faced with a wide wardrobe and the floor was covered by a smooth red carpet. Right next to the door was a small place where were placed some boots and a mirror was hanging on the wall. On her left was a living room that took most of the appartement spaces with a futon, an end table with a couple of cushions and a small fridge next to it. A wall was separating this living room from a bathroom way bigger than her previous appartement. The whole place was clean and the wardrobe was filled with various Saiyans style armor and some more casual clothes. She rid herself of her damaged armor that were left on the floor while she took her bath. When she came back she simply shove the old armor on a free space in the wardrobe, grabbed a white shirt and a pair of black shorts with a yellow strap on it quickly put them on before falling on her futon. There were still a lot of time left in the day but she felt drained all of a sudden. They got her ass kicked and she had to become a sentimental counselor. A role she’ll certainly have to stick with until things get better. She had plan to visit the place before tomorrow to kill time. Maybe even use the training room a bit. But the thought of the mystery doors got stuck in her head for a bit. Each of them will be stuck there for three hours, alone with the one guy who destroyed them all together 

 

\- How the fuck can it go wrong ? 

  
  
  


**TO BE CONTINUED**


	3. Tension and Division.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tension is rising amongst the group as they are acclimating to their new resting place. To top it all of they got to know what their training session will consist of: a Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter is here !
> 
> It took more time than I thought it would. Next one will arrive faster as I know exactly how it will play out.

The afternoon passed by as the team took their mark within their new place. It was radically different from the small individual room that Orange Stars students were renting in the business district. Or the dorms inside the campus for those who couldn’t afford said rooms. Païkle was the first to go downstairs, followed by Corrind and then Marble. Three of them disposed of their damaged clothes and got dressed with sportswear from their wardrobes. Marble took some time to look for Kurogane, even looking in the training room but all she found were machines and towels. Apparently he was still in his room. But she wasn’t that sad anymore. It was not the first time they had a dispute and they would usually subsides given enough time. She’ll try to talk to him later.

All of them entered the training room with awe filled eyes. The room was filled to the brim with various machinery to keep them in shape. The mere sophistication of those machines are enough to put their School’s equipement to shame. Corrind got drawn to some sort of circular control panel in the center of the room. After a throughout examination she almost felt her eyeballs pop out of their sockets. Marble would follow suit and take a closer look at it.

This was a gravity machine ! The kind of thing you’d expect to find on display at Capsule corp. Even in School they had no access to such device. The Majin however couldn’t make it work. Each time she was greeted by a message on every screen demanding an activation code. Certainly a security measure to prevent misusing and it was more than likely that the security code was handed to Figuea. Maybe it will play a part later in their training regime but by looking at Corrind’s face it was obvious she wanted to give it a shot. Which, given her saiyan constitution, could help her greatly.

 

They then used the numerous benches, weights and other contraption to exercise for a good part of the afternoon. Marble took a break from the leg Press and simply extended her arm to grab a bottle of juice. Thought she didn’t need any water to survive she was keeping her sugar level in the clear. The little bottle didn’t last long and she let out a sigh of relief. She then got up and was about to go to the trash bin at the other end of the room when she spotted Kurogane, walking into the room. Her face illuminated with a smile and she approached her friend, almost running to him.

 

\- Kuro ! 

 

He simply raised his eyes to meet hers and stopped as she got near him. She clenched a fist in front of her, offering a fist bump.

 

\- I’m happy you decided to come ! This place is awesome !

\- Yeah. Seems like it.

 

She was left with her fist pointed at him and he didn’t moved at all. She lost her smile and laid her arm flat on her side. She looked at him and begin to stutter a bit.

 

\- I-I’m sorry for what happen-

\- It’s nothing. 

 

She talked again through gritted teeth.

 

\- Kuro please.

\- Could we talk about that later ? 

\- But-

 

He walked off, moving to where she was previously. She stayed here for a second before almost storming off the room and slamming the door behind her. Corrind threw a weight right at Kuro who catched it with ease with his tail. He turned his head to her, seeing a furious face. He on the other hand was still expressionless which enraged her even more.

 

\- You better apologize to her or I’ll kill you.

\- I will...I just need some time.

\- Oh excuse me you drama queen ! You sure do after treating her like that. She was apologizing, you’d resent a friend even after that ?!

\- I don’t resent her.

 

This conversation was going nowhere and frustration was building up inside of her. The fur on her tail bristled with anger as she was barely preventing herself to hit him right in the jaw. She took a deep breath before continuing.

 

\- Then what’s your fucking problem ?

 

He didn’t respond, preferring to go farther away from her and starting his exercise. She looked at him for a while. Païkle was unphased by what was going on and was running on the fastest running machine she ever saw. Corrind opened the door and looked for Marble in the living room. She was nowhere to be found and the Saiyan assumed she got in her room to isolate herself. She then took a bottle of water on the fridge and chug it in to quench her thirst and to cool herself. She needed it. 

All of that was becoming a huge mess. She knew the Majin for less than a day and already had to help her with an idiot that was supposed to be her best friend. She grew fond of the pearly gum but she felt overwhelmed by the task she inherited almost by accident. 

So far she made a good friend, was disliking the Arcosian more as time passes by and had a bad view on Païkle’s methods for obvious reasons. She hoped that their training would help them in that regard as well.

Talking about that she begun to think about what Figuea told them. Her eyes locked on the plain looking door that was facing her. After a sort of staring contest with the inanimate object she got up to inspect it closely. The door was made of some old, thick wood that had a glossy varnish to keep it in good shape. The door knob was just as simple but something caught her attention. No keyhole. No lock of any sort. Even old doors got these. She put her palm on the wood and was not feeling anything. A ear on the door was not helping much either. What could hide behind such a normal looking, yet odd door ? Her hand slowly made its way to the doorknob, her curiosity overthrowing her initial indifference. She grabbed the knob.

 

\- You’ll have to wait until tomorrow morning for that young girl. 

 

The voice startled her and she stepped back from the door while turning to her Teacher. He was only a few meter away from her, his arms crossed as usual. Though she was surprised, his presence represented a good opportunity for her to ask directly what that door was. 

 

\- I get that there are tensions among you.  _He said almost immediately._

\- Oh great...Even you caught up with it.

\- It’s my job.

 

She sighed. Giving up on hiding anything.

 

\- Marble’s and Kuro are not doing well but the three of us agrees on the fact that Païkle is an apathetic green ass. Now I’m doing counseling but I want to punch those idiots so hard I’ll pop their heads out. 

 

Figuea stroke his beard as he was assessing the situation. 

 

\- It may prove harder than I thought. But I’ll do  it nonetheless .

\- Talking about that...Why aren’t you taking us together to improve our teamwork ?

\- As of now it would only be a waste of time. If it’s as bad as you say then it will hinder your progress. When we’re finished tomorrow most problem should be solved and you’ll be ready to train as a team. 

\- But what’s in this room anyway ?

 

Figuea looked at her, silent. It was getting a bit awkward but it subsided when he finally spoke.

 

\- It’s a... 

 

 

* * *

 

 

\- A Hyperbolic Time Chamber ?!

 

The words resonated in the room as Païkle spoke them. It was later in the evening and all four of them were there, dispatched around the living room with their own meal. The tension prevented them from having a dinner around the same table but the revelation that Corrind dropped piqued the interest of everyone. It was a first to see the Namekian drop his poker face but the three other weren’t less affected, quite the contrary. Their teachers was already putting them there ? 

Among the students it was spoke with as much dread as with awe. The perfect place to improve in a minimum amount of time. But history taught them how awful this dimension could become. Temperature variation, dense air and an endless void of white floor and sky. One day was equal to a year inside. Warriors like Goku and Vegeta had conquered the chamber but they were practically gods.  H e snapped out of her thoughts and pointed at the door, eyes wide open.

 

\- Are you sure about that ?  _Païkle asked._

\- Yeah, he said it clearly. 

 

It was real. They WILL enter this hellish place. Not only would they go in this but this monster of a Saiyan will be there too. Païkle was clenching a fist on his end of the table. If Marble could sweat she would do it abundantly and Kurogane’s tail was twitching nervously. Corrind was the only one to smile and she was devouring a dinosaurs tail with great appetite. Marble, sitting near her, looked dumbfounded by her easy going nature.

 

\- Doesn’t it scare you even a little ?  _She asked._

 

The Saiyan stopped to gulp a huge piece of meat still in her mouth.

 

\- A bit. Three hours there will be a month and a half at least. It’s  gonna be tough as hell .

 

Païkle leaned more over the table, staring at her. Corrind only returned a contempt smile at him as he frowned a  little .

 

\- It may be a great way to improve ourselves but I’m guessing there’s still something you know that we don’t.

\- You’re right Pickle.  _She puffed up her chest proudly_ . I’m going in first ! 

 

So he even said that kind of information. And she was chosen to be the first to go through it. He did say that there was no particular problem with her and that she only needed to sharpen her skills. But that would also mean he wasn’t going to waste any time with correcting her behaviour. Païkle was not pleased, mostly because he considered the problem being the others not following his plan. They may have won if they just listened to him and did their part. And for being the one to lead the group he was going to get that nonsense ? It was frustrating to say the least. But he wasn’t going to falter. Corrind continued.

 

\- Paï kle will be second, Marby third and Kuro last. That’s all I know. 

\- How did you get those information ?

\- I asked him, genius.

 

It was hard to imagine that he simply said those things when he could’ve done that during the presentation of the place. While Païkle was showing mixed emotion, Kuro didn’t show any. The pearl Majin was looking at a paradox here. It was like they switched personality. But she quickly guessed that Kuro was doing his best to hide his thoughts, one of the many hints being his efforts to avoid eye contact with everyone as he was finishing his dinner. Marble got up and brought her flatwares, cleaned it and simply walked away to the stairs. Not without saying a Goodnight to everyone, but without looking at anyone. The Arcosian stayed for a while before doing the exact same thing, silently though. Païkle finished his bottle of water as he looked him got up. Corrind was still eating when he spoke.

 

\- Are they at odds with each other ?

 

She looked at him, biting a chicken thigh. They exchanged a silence but her eyes got her thought out pretty clearly. He rolled his eyes and let her stuffed herself as a saiyan should do. Cleaning all of that was a complete chore and even though he lent a hand to her, tension was in the air. They then got to their room without a word for each other. 

From the end of the corridor Figuea looked them part ways with frowned  his  brows before also going back to his room.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Each of them were woken up by the screeching beep of their alarm clock. Kurogane looked quietly at the ceiling before tapping the little button on the alarm, shutting it up. He levitated through the room to access his bathroom. He brushed his teeth with only a portion of the mirror to help him, the rest being covered by a spare towel. After this overly complicated process he took some time to prepare himself. He moved his furniture to make some space in the middle of the room and stood there for a bit. He clenched his fist.

The aura appeared around him, reflecting red lights on the walls. He started slow, and then put more effort as all his muscle contracted. The aura grew more in response and the room started to shake from the pressure. With as much precision as he could mutter he started to shape his body differently. His bio armor expanded, inches by inches. He even gained a few centimeters overhaul. He tried even further. He gritted his teeth as he bent his knee and arched his back forward. The sound proof walls came in handy as he was now screaming the pain out of his system. Small object would fall off due to the tremors caused by his energy. Suddenly the output of energy got uneven and the aura begun to spark and diminish. He struggled to keep it up but fell on his knee, panting heavily with some sweat dropping from his head. He gradually got back to his normal form and size. The room trembled one more time with a punch he delivered on the floor.

 

\- Fuck !

 

His voice was full of frustration but he succeeded at keeping his anger at bay. This process took time and he could say he made progress. Though it was still not enough. He would’ve stayed on the floor, catching his breath, longer if not for the clock that fell near him. He quickly got up, wiped the sweat away and run through the corridor and climb down the stairs. The others were already there, lined up in front of the wooden door. Surprisingly Figuea glanced at him like nothing and let him stand near Corrind, at the exact opposite of Marble. 

The Grey haired saiyan cleared his throat and crossed his arms.

 

\- You are all aware of what’s behind that door and the order in which you will enter. I will now brief you on some rules 

 

He patted the door with his hand.

 

\- First when I enter this room with one of you there’s no coming back: you stay and train up until the end. Second, you may never go too far away from the building containing the door without me. Oxygen is scarce and the atmosphere will thicken the farther you go. If you don’t want to die then stick with the limit I’ll set up.

Thirdly, I’m willing to clear something up. Would you have graduated three years ago this training would have been much different.

 

They were visibly intrigued now. He pursued.

 

\- We kicked the difficulty of the finals up a notch or two and implemented this Hyperbolic time chamber training to raise more powerful trainees. And to filters less determined newcomers. That means that you’re better than last year’s trainees in theory but it also mean we expect a lot more from you. You’ll set an example for next generations.

 

He raised his voice, startling them.

 

\- Therefore I want each of you to get out of those three hours  strong enough to force me to get serious. We’re not messing around anymore. Am I clear ?

\- Sir, yes sir !  _They said collectively._

 

They remembered how to respond and did it without fear this time. He smirked a bit and looked at Corrind. She took a step toward the door and stared at it. So close to it, it was hard not to feel a bit stressed out.  The door was more imposing from her new point of view. The speech their teacher just gave them was ingrained in her brain and all her schools memories came back. All the struggle, all the work she made and now this. She came a long way and the real battle was just now beginning. She felt fear, no need to deny that.  But she knew she was up for the task. She inhaled and sighed to get rid of her tension before nodding to Figuea. He opened the door to her, bathing her in a pale light that was blocking her view. Hesitant at first, she  stepped forward. After entering the light, Figuea gave the rest of the band a silent gaze and a thumbs up. Marble gulped the stress accumulating in her throat as he was following the Saiyan and closing the door behind them.

 

The longest day of their life just begun. 

 

 

 

** TO BE CONTINUED **


	4. A promising start ! The pride of a Saiyan !

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrind is the first one to enter the Chamber. Thus begin her training under Figuea's strict regime.

The seemingly infinite white field of the Time Chamber were a sight to behold. A lone buildind standing in this ocean of emptiness, two giant hourglass on each side were counting the inflated time that this space was ruled by. There was silence, and occasionally the building would tremble. Not much. But it was perceivable. If someone was standing in the porch of the palace they could pick up lights from far away. Mostly blue and yellow, of multiple size and shape. Taking a closer look there were two saiyans battling each other.

Figuea was relentless in his assault. Firing multiple ki blasts at once with little to no effort. Corrind was struggling to keep up with a barrier that she moved in every direction to block incoming attacks. One more imposing than the other flew right to her and she barely blocked it with her shield. She gritted her teeth and used one of her feet to try and stop herself as the blast was pushing her farther and farther away. Planting her heel more firmly she stopped completely but the sphere was still pushing. With a cry she pushed it back to the ground before her. The ground exploded as smokes rose in front of her. Her barrier did not last long after that and she tried to catch her breath. Figuea saw the cloud of smoke engulfing her and raised his hand, palm facing the sky. A pillar of blue Ki shot upright and split in a dozen of smaller beam that rained all over the battlefield. The beams would change course before hitting the ground, flying right toward the cloud of dust. Inside of it Corrind was looking all around her.

Focus.

She closed her eyes and released the tension on her muscle. Clearing her mind from needless thoughts she was slowly feeling the energy of the beam coming right to her. She could not picture them in her mind but it was like a tingling sensation on her skin. She chopped on her right and sent one away. A kick to the left, another one gone. Three behind her. She jumped over them and swiped her hand to throw them to the ground. The explosion propelled her backward as she pivoted on herself. Now above the cloud dust, time slowed down. Four were emerging, pursuing her. An arm stretched behind her, five small yellow glowing orbs appeared at the end of each finger. She swung, launching the orbs against the beams which would explodes. The perfect execution of the technique made her smile proudly. Figuea taught her this technique from Vegito. She had to work on it for two weeks but it was worth it.

The celebration time was cut short as she felt another tingling sensation on her neck. She twist her upper body to see behind her but saw nothing. An ever expanding glow at the corner of her vision informed her too late of her mistake. She crossed her arms in front of her in a defensive position to intercepts the blast that hit her like a truck. She was pushed even higher upward. And just when she tried to stop and regain her focus the last two blast were obstructing both of her side. In a desperate effort she summoned another barrier that got shattered by the following explosion. Now propelled on the ground, she rolled on her side and laid on her back, coughing and covered in dust. The elder stood next to her, fist on his hips.

 

\- Not bad. You even did a proper Split-Finger Shot.

\- Yeah...And I could not even lay a finger on you.

\- It’s up to you to change that young girl.

\- Yeah… I guess so !

 

She got up in one smooth motion and launched a right hook right to his face. He deviated the punch on his left and tried to gut punch her in return. She lean forward until her hand touched the ground and used this new support to do a wheel, sending her feet in his face once again. He jumped backward to avoid the attack but noticed the little smile. As her feet aligned with him she blasted the ground away and turned herself into a living torpedo. As fast as she was he still got a hold of her ankle and pivoted to throw her away. Clapping her hand together the Saiyans girl summoned some kind of lightning that got around her arm and moved rapidly toward her legs. Figuea widen his eyes and let go of her just before the lightning reached his hand. She was now in front of him again. He focused a Ki ball in his palm while reaching his arm in front of her. Without warning she did the same movement but generated a small round barrier around the hand of the Teacher. Surprise was all over his face.

 

\- Holy…

 

Corrind went for his stomach with her knee. Using the barrier that prevented him from firing, the elder protected himself. With precision she created a square barrier on his right, blocking him from moving this way. She then swung her left arm while generating a golden Ki blast. He had to use his left forearm to block it and the explosion engulfed him. Corrind fled back to the ground and looked at the little cloud of smoke she made. Her shoulders were moving up and down to the rhythm of her heavy breathing. She succeeded at cornering him at least for a bit. She stayed focus on his energy that were still emanating from the inside of the cloud.

Suddenly a blast emerged from the dust, quickening toward her. She was prepared to intercept it but not for it to expand meter away from her while emitting a bright light. It took her by surprise as she shielded her eyes with her arms. Then she felt a hand grasping her tail firmly, sending waves of pain throughout her whole body. Her limbs got numb and she lost her footing. A still fuming Figuea let go of her and she tumbled in the ground, her face showing a mix of nausea and pain. The elder looked at her while she curl up in a fetal position. He then patted the dust out of him.

 

\- Seems like you already improved a lot. This barrier technique is flawed but it has versatility. You gotta keep honing it. However.

 

He kneeled next to her. The shock was subsiding, allowing her to sit down a bit. She was still trembling but had her tail wrapped around her waists. Colors returned to her face and her breathing stabilized. They exchanged a glance.

 

\- You are not keeping good track of ki. With more concentration you could have discern the last three beams and me using the Instant Transmission. You also have too many pauses between your moves. You got to plan things way before you actually do them or the delaying of one attack could cost your victory.

\- I’m...not that good at that. I improvised a lot there.

\- Improvisation and Reflection complement each other. One act as a temporary replacement when you can’t rely on the other at the moment. Now let’s take a b…

 

She sprung forward and reached her hand forward. He followed her but had no time to react. She got a hold of his tail and squeezed it in her hand. A grin made out of a mix of anger and pride was plastered all over her face, as if a huge “Finally !” was written on her forehead. She hold it firmly and was assured of her victory. Something was wrong though. He wasn’t falling.

Gently, he approached a closed fist to her forehead, the index and thumbs forming an O. She received a flick that sent her flying tens of meters away. She crashed into the terrace of the building. Figuea approached and stood on the edge of the newly formed crater. Corrind was staring at the sky, a red spot forming in her forehead. She was dumbfounded

 

\- How the fuck did it not work ?

\- You mean the tail holding ? Saiyans can actually train to overcome this. Not entirely but at least it doesn’t work for those weaker than us.

 

She bolted out of the crater, covered in white dust, and bowed before him. Figuea raised an eyebrow at this, surprised to see her so energized after their fight.

 

\- Teach me Sir !

 

He smiled and nodded at her.

 

\- So will I.

 

She did put a lot of effort into her training, developing the basis of her own style. The first two weeks revealed they were quite similar in term of Ki reserves. As such he trained her to put it in good use. After this confrontation she suffered a long routine to help her be less sensitive on her tail area. He would wraps straps around the tail, provoking this awful sensation of being unable to move an inch. The first days were not giving much results and he would only allocate time for it in the evening to not put her at a disadvantage for the rest of the training. As days fled by however she was able to move more and more efficiently. The straps stayed on her longer and longer and within a week she was able to negate most of the effect. It was still a hindrance but on a way lesser scale.

The elder Saiyan was now confident that he could speed things up with her. After a huge feast they made to satiate the pit they had in place of a stomach they prepared to go to bed. The absence of a sun and the constant whiteness of the place was not helping at first but the young woman got used to it. On top of that the battles were intense enough to tire up to sleep. She sat on her mattress and kicked her boots out of her feet and lied down. She looked at her Teacher who was showing his back, lying on his side. She discerned little scars all over him. It wasn’t surprising considering his job but she wondered how many fight he had to become that strong. He was without a doubt accustomed to this place so she had a part of the explanation. His breathing was regular. Was he asleep already ?

She glanced at his hair. For an old Saiyan he was packing quite the punch. She wondered if he could turn into a Super Saiyan. The thought of that guy becoming even stronger made her shake. And he could surely go higher than that. All saiyan students were talking about that form. After all it was a milestone in their development and she herself was excited at the idea of becoming one. Maybe he could teach her later. Hey eyes close as she drifted slowly into slumber.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The clock ticking was usually not that loud but in the silence of the living room it was almost hammering against the walls. The three students were throwing peeks at it and at the doors. Almost three hours past since they got in. Païkle took the time to calm himself, knowing it would be his turn right after. The only sound other than this unnerving ticking was the TV spouting commercials. Marble was sitting on the couch while Kurogane putted some distance between them, on a seat near the door. The Majin looked at the Namekian who was resting his back against a wall, in front of the door.

 

\- Got the jitters ? _She asked, attempting to be friendly._

\- I would be lying if I pretend otherwise. But it’s less than before. _His eyes still locked on the doors._

 _-_ Good for you.

\- I’m more intrigued about how she will be after all of this.

 

Marble didn’t replied. He had put words on everyone’s thoughts and there was no need   
to add anything else. Corrind is gonna be the example of what they will be like after this training. The stronger she will end up being, the better for them.   
Marble was also happy that she was coming back after three hours spent with those two. She stopped trying to talk to Kuro and her relation with Païkle was only as cordial as it could get. Efforts were made on both side to not bring the previous incident up but she was still not satisfied with his attitude.   
The return of the saiyan was more than welcomed in this situation.

The clock indicated 9:00 AM and expectationd rose in the room as a result. Then the knob turned and the door opened. Figuea stepped in first, followed closely by Corrind, covered head to toes in dust and little debris. Her battle armor was fractured in many places, both shoulder pads broken, and the clothes underneath were ripped. Apart of that her posture was straighter than before and her gaze was filled with confidence. The Arcosian turned his head to look at her. The little training they had in sensing Ki was enough to indicate she was way, way stronger than what she was. The other two surely sensed it also. The two girls exchanged a smile and Païkle approached the Elder saiyan.

He nodded at Corrind who walked for a little more before faceplanting into the couch with a sigh of relief. Figuea looked at the Namekian from head to toe.

 

\- Ready boy ?

\- I am Sir.

\- Good. _He turned to Corrind._ Do you have anything to share with him ?

 

The black haired girl raised her head a bit, just enough to talk intelligibly.

 

\- Don’t get too comfy in the first two weeks…It gets worse.

 

The Namekian’s poker face stayed up, it was hard to tell if this info did anything to him. Figuea extended a hand to the door and opened it for his student. Païkle wasted no time and stepped into the chamber. The Teacher gave a nod to the others and followed him. Marble looked at the door closing again with mixed feeling. Suddenly Corrind lifted herself up and hugged the Majin. She reciprocated, feeling that she was happy to see her. It was maybe three hours for herself but for the Saiyan she had one person to talk with for more than a month. They separated and Corrind simply sat down. Only to realize she just put a good amount of dust on her friend.

 

\- Sorry about that. Totally forgot I was such a mess.

\- Don’t worry about that ! I get you need to blow off some steam.

\- Yeah… Yeah I needed that.

\- So… What did you learn ?

 

The Saiyan didn’t answered immediately, pouting as if the subject was something she would have gladly avoided. But in the same time it wasn’t fair to not talk to them. At least to give them a taste of what they would go through. He accepted and asked them to sit. She had a lot to unpack here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	5. Païkle's trial ! The meaning of teamwork !

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apart from new powerful technique, Païkle is being taught the power of teamworks. And what better way to learn to face a powerful team ?

The freezer’s door opened to a renewed stock of food and drink. Corrind grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it in one go. She took the time to clean herself of the dust and donned new clothes from her wardrobes. She and the other two were sitting at the common table of the living room. They waited patiently for her to finally talk but respected her enough to give her enough time to wrap her head around the fact that only three hours passed here. It was a strange experience to say the least. Staying an entire years inside must be nerve racking even for the toughest. She sat down between them and was visibly thinking about were to begin. An awkward silence lasted for several seconds before she could say a word.

She described the ever growing difficulty of her training inside this place and how Figuea’s strength was seemingly unreachable no matter how strong she would get. She boasted about the small victories she had only to chain with every single time she had to adapt and think even faster than the last time. The last couple of weeks were awfully fast paced and they basically turned the surroundings of the Building into a war zone. She got her fair share of Zenkai Boost occasionally. They would waste days dedicated to her recovery but the strenght she received in exchange was worth it. Marble asked her about the techniques she learned and the Saiyan would boldly say that she developed some of her own on top of what she was taught. Kurogane showed interest in that and leaned a bit more over the table to look at her.

 

\- He authorized you to do that ? _He asked, interested._

_-_ He only gave me  some indication about what I was doing wrong or well. Eventually I had to use it on him and he gave his approval.  _She replied, grinning proudly._

 

Marble gave her a thumbs up while a smile formed all across her face.

 

\- So what is it ?

 

Corrind put her index on the tip of her nose, intimating her to stay quiet.

 

\- Not gonna answer that miss ! It’ll be a secret until I can properly show it up in action.

\- Aw come on ! You teased it so much for that ?

\- That’s the plan. You get hyped up and try even harder to get something good.

 

The arcosian twitched his tail while giving her a skeptic look. Corrind didn’t take long to notice it and locked eye contact with him.

 

\- What if you’re just ashamed of it, hm?

\- Watch what you’re saying. I’m more than enough to kick yer ass to next week now.

\- Hey easy, I’m just teasing you.

\- Treat white princess gum right there better and then I may forgive you, jackass.

 

She let out more animosity than she initially wanted. She knew he wanted to joke around, that he wasn’t disliking her as she was disliking him. But she was still a bit disoriented from her experienced and pissed at him. Both the Frost demon and the Majin looked away. Apparently it was still not resolved between them. Corrind sighed and immediately thought of another subject to ease the tension.

 

\- Ya know. He taught me something really cool right after I could sense Ki accurately…

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The silver haired saiyan was sitting idly as the floor was shaking all around him. In front of him, the Namekian was exuding a powerful green aura as he was exerting a lot of effort. He wasn’t yelling but some grunts escaped from his mouth here and there. The fabric of his clothes were floating as the aura grew some more and then everything stopped. The aura was gone and with it the rumbling and the noise. Figuea frowned in expectation. Païkle closed his eyes and relaxed every muscle in his body. His eyes then shot open, fist clenched as he yelled.

 

\- Kaio-Ken times 3 !

 

A bright, thick red aura engulfed him, creating a powerful wind around him and shaking the ground once more. He struggled a bit to maintain it but quickly got accustomed to the sensation and could move while having it. Figuea smiled and got up up to approach him. The red aura disappeared with a relieved sigh.

 

\- Good good. You got the gist of it.

\- But I’m not using it fast enough.

\- Yet. You’ll have plenty of time to hone it. Surely go higher than a times 3.

 

The saiyan patted his shoulders. Païkle was one head taller than him so the patronizing gesture came up a bit strange. The teacher stepped back and put his fist on his waists.

 

\- Now we’re gonna do something a bit special.

\- What is it sir ?

\- You remember my first test right ?

 

The namekian immediately knew where the discussion was going. He sighed and prepared for what he had to say.

 

\- We will do it again. Only reversed.

 

And there goes his expectation. What did he meant by that ? Païkle was so visibly confused that it made the Elder chuckle at him. Did he planned to bring some other teacher in the Chamber ? No. It was certainly something else, it would be way too hard to pull off otherwise. Suddenly the elder grabbed both of his own shoulders, arm crossed against his chest. He started to growl in effort as his powerful aura appeared. Rising to the sky like a flame. Païkle stood there, staring at him all the while being unable to move an inch. It was way stronger than anything he demonstrated up until now.

He then noticed the aura splitting in the middle as three exact copies of Figuea slowly manifested themselves at his side. The energy stopped and the fours clones stood with the same cocky posture. From a corner of his memory the Namekian warrior remembered that it was a technique of Tenshinhan. It was yet again an impressive display of an encyclopedic knowledge of technique the Saiyan seemed to have. How many of them did he have still in store ?

The four clones talked in unison with the same tone, creating a really uncanny sound and visual.

 

\- Sorry it took that long. My strength was divided by four so I had to raise it subsequently beforehand.

 

Païkle swallowed as a drop of sweat was forming on his forehead.

 

\- The exercise will be fairly simple. I’m going to try and overwhelm you. You have to hold me off for three minutes. Feel up for it ?

\- Don’t hold back Sir.

 

Figuea smiled and took a stance. Païkle followed suit and was keeping all four of them in his sight. Two clones at each extremities of the line flew right through the tense air while blasting the Namekian. The red aura flared up and he begun deflecting each blasts. When they were close enough he jumped forward and blasted the ground under him. Giving him a boost while pushing the two clones to the sides. He stretched one arm to another clone that was rushing him and landed a solid punch to the face. While retracting the limb he could finally process the speed and strength he gained with it. The Kaioken was truly a powerful technique. He dashed to the previously punched clones, which crossed his arms to block an incoming attacks. Païkle then took an upward angle to position himself above him and hand chopped his defense in one blinding fast movement. With the same speed he got behind him and kicked him in the back.

One down, three to go. The first two clones came back, flanking him on both side. The Namekian raised a hand to intercept the punch coming from his right. It was stronger than expected but he could still stop it and he extended his foot to let the clones on the left hit himself with it on the last moment. He grabbed the one he stopped and twist his torso to send him right to the other one. The clone, however, disappeared from his hand and the other one quickly retaliate from the kick by grabbing the namekian’s ankle. The clone reappeared above Païkle and stomp on his chest, dragging him to the floor. Païkle struggled from the pressure before he let his body rotate backward, aligning with the clone while getting behind him. He then wrapped his legs around the arms of the clone and his arm around its leg. Applying a bit more force he made the clone face the ground and accelerated moment before impact.

A gush of dust and little rubble elevated after the impact and Païkle got out of it rolling on the ground. He got up in one jump and had barely any time to block a flurry of punch coming from a clone. His antennae tilted a bit as he felt a ki blast coming from his right. He made a step on his left to let his attackers slide past him just enough to intercept the blast in his behalf. As the clones was dragged further by the beam, the Namekian shot the other clone while rolling on the ground.

Two explosions shook the chamber simultaneously as the aura stuttered and Païle’s breath became heavier. He looked up, a knee on the ground, and saw Figuea (or another clone ?) facing him not more than a hundred meters away from him.

 

\- One minute left !

 

The Namekian stood up and focused as much as he could. He yelled as a red aura surrounded him once more, even brighter than before.

 

\- Kaïo-Ken times 5 !

 

He rushed to his teachers with astonishing speed and got behind him. So much so that he had to use a blast to correct the distance between him and his teacher and attempted to roundhouse kick him in the head. Yet again he disappeared instantly and Païkle felt an elbow sink violently in his left side. He gritted his teeth to face the pain and tried to hit back. His fist only connected with air. Soon all four of the clones were doing quick attack against him. It was bad. Now he had the sheer power to defeat them and they knew it. They were trying to gain time. And at this rate either he would not be able to maintain the Kaioken and get beaten.

But he wasn’t done yet. He focused on his Ki for a short moment, capitalizing on a gap in the onslaught. Without warning his aura fragmented itself on thousands of pieces forming a wide fog around him. Deactivating the Kaïo-Ken in the process. The little ki sphere, not bigger than a golf ball, were sitting here without moving. Then some begun to form a humanoid behind Païkle. He turned on the Kaioken X5 to elbow the clones who had just manifested in the stomach. The namekian then kicked him out of the cloud. Another one came to him with the same method and the sphere were adhering to him while he was still in the process of teleporting. The trainee proceeded to dodge the punch and punched his attacker back out of the cloud.

A smile formed on his face. This technique was great, and he finally had the occasion of testing it. There was 30 seconds left, all he had to do was to stall them a bit more.

This time all four of them appeared around him. He could tell they were prepared because they blocked his attacks but got repelled either way. He punched the first two and kicked the third one. He prepared to do the same with the last one when he noticed something. The hand of the Saiyan was place close to the nose, fingers spread out.

 

\- Taiyõken !

 

A flash of light stabbed Paîkle eyes, breaking his concentration and with it the Kaïo-Ken and the fog of ki particle was of no use anymore. Blinded, he tried to scrub his eyes but he felt something tugging his arms and leg. They were then forcefully pulled to maintain him in place. More Ki strings bound him more tightly around him. He tried to break free but the usage of Kaïo-Ken strained him to much. He ceased his efforts and focused on catching his breath after all this. The Strings vanished into thin air just like the three clones. Figuea clapped his hand and, as vision came back to him, Païkle would notice his trademark discrete smile on his face.

 

\- You may have lost the fight but I didn’t bound you in time. So it’s your victory.

\- Really ?…

\- Yes. The time was over when I launched the Taiyõken.

 

Even that fact wasn’t bringing too much joy into the namekian. The gap was still visible. The Elder adapted faster than he expected to this technique and counterattacked accordingly. Both of them returned to the calm of the central building. Païkle enjoyed a whole bottle of water as Figuea feasted on a huge selection of meal. It was pretty weird to see but for the Namekian it was all he needed to have. After Figuea was sure to be satiated he broke the silence.

 

\- Did you guessed why I did it to you ?

\- Hm...I supposed it was to teach me how to deal with multiple enemies.

\- It’s only part of my reasons but you are right.

\- Why else then ?

 

Figuea took another bottle of beverage he saved for last. He drank the whole thing in one go before letting out a satisfied sigh.

 

\- It was also a way to push you further than a one on one, to force you to keep your senses keen at all time.

\- It make sense. _He said, pondering to himself_

 _-_ Also, you overused the Kaïo-Ken. The effect are not that awful because it was short enough and your body has a great regenerative factor to help you endure it. But if the fight was a bit longer you would have relied on it too much for your own good.

\- I guessed as much. It was draining my Ki faster the longer I was keeping it. But in that short amount of time I deemed it to be a great solution against you.

\- And it was. Just don’t do it recklessly. Corrind had the tendency of doing so and she was barely stopping at the limit.

 

So he was learning them all the Kaïo-Ken. It wasn’t surprising. Future missions may confront them against opponents way stronger than they are. Having an ace up their sleeves to close the gap could be a matter of life or death. A new silence settled as they enjoyed the calmness of the place. It was refreshing after the heat of battle to finally be able to clear their minds. But it was somewhat clear that his Teacher wasn’t done talking.

 

\- Is there anything else Sir ?

\- I also wanted to show you the power of teamwork. Granted it was composed with only me but good team can do as much if not more. And, to be frank, this is what lacked against me.

 

There they were. Now it was sure that he was going to talk about what happened in the recruitment day. This time there was no exam to cut it short. Païkle prepared himself to what Figuea had to say.

 

\- Did you knew the other for a long time ?

\- No. Our class was huge and few had opportunity to talk outside of schools with the load of work we had.

\- A shame. Knowing each other would have benefited you all.

 

Silence. The saiyan’s tail twitched back and forth.

 

\- You took upon yourself to be the leader of your group. All three of them acknowledged you as such and your profile indicate a lot of good results in teamwork. Which raised some question about the decision you made.

\- You mean with Kurogane ?

\- Precisely.

 

They looked at each other. Figuea staying calm. Païkle leaned froward.

 

\- Sir, you saw how impulsive he was. I could not entrust him with a vital part of the plan and I gave him a role that could have helped us beat you.

\- I saw it yes. And I’m aiming to change that so he could become more reliable. Key word here being “more”.

\- What do you mean ?

 

Figuea marked a short pause.

 

\- Contrary to what you believe he is not UNreliable. Back then I wasn’t playing around, he genuinely kept me occupied while you were talking to the others. He is impulsive, he is short tempered. But even then you should have trusted him more. A leader is someone in which other can place their trusts into, and he must do the same with his teammates. If you don’t trust them back they may feel inadequate, unsuited. And in the meantime you may miss their potential entirely. You have to treat them not like tools at your disposal but as allies to which you can entrust your life to.

Also your quarrel with Marble not only injured the previous dynamic you had with her but also her trust with you. She also was in the wrong for letting her anger cloud her judgment but as a leader you shouldn’t let conflict ruin your team, let alone be the one to spark them.

 

Païkle kept his head lowered throughout his teacher’s speech. Figuea noticed that and remained silent as to let his student stomach what he said. He unpacked a lot in one time and he was more than aware it could seem like an overwhelming criticism. To his surprise the namekian spoke sooner than expected.

 

\- You know. All that time I was pushing people in exercise to simply have good grades. My team changed every time so I didn’t care if they were liking my methods or not. All I wanted was to pass, to succeed. And considering I got pretty good at that, even though they didn’t liked it… They followed me to have the same grades.

 

The Saiyan looked at him with attention. Here was the source of the problem then. The student stopped to think about what to say next. Figuea respected that pause and decided to wait. This method seemed to prove itself effective.

 

\- And during our fight with you I was thinking about how I could impress you with MY plan. I wasn’t thinking that it was the first fight I had with my future partners.

\- If that can help you, know that you’re not the first one to do so.

 

He had piqued the student’s interest. He continued.

 

\- I was like that myself. I was strong and willing to show it, damn may those other guys be. But admitting this mistakes to my teacher right after it was pointed to me was something I’ve been too proud to do back then.

 

Païkle clenched his fist, stood up from the table and bowed forward, arms leaning against his side.

 

\- I’m sorry for my behavior Sir. It won’t happen again.

 

The saiyans had a stern look on his face and he adopted the same tone he used on then when they first met. As a way to test the determination of the trainee.

 

\- Are you going to act as a leader ?

\- Yes Sir.

\- Are you willing to put your trust into other for their sake and yours ?

\- Yes Sir !

 

A smile illuminated the old veteran as he heard sincerity in the young one’s voice. He always felt that none of them were bad kids but there were problem that needed to be addressed. In the case of Païkle it was mostly due to the warrior mentality he inherited from his namekian clan and the overall cold pragmatism its members were used to display. When the young namekian straightened himself Figuea widened his eyes as if he remembered something.

 

\- You know. There’s always a way for you to get into another team if things don’t work out well. This is also why we’re focusing on singular training first.

 

Païkle stayed silent. His mind was assessing this new possibility. First his expression was unsure, he was visibly struggling with the possibility. Figuea was seeing potential in this team so far. But he had to ensure each of them didn’t feel forced to get along with people they we’re not liking. It would only be detrimental to them in more than one way. Then, resolve appeared on the trainee’s face.

 

\- I would first like to apologize to them. Show them I am in a different mindset now. If they are not willing to forgive me then I’ll go. But if they do I would want to know them better.

 

Figuea begun to chuckle before laughing loudly. The young namekian looked at him while raising an eyebrow. The elder stopped and regained his composure.

 

\- Sorry Païkle. I was just happy to hear it. That’s all.

\- It’s fine Sir. What do we do now ?

 

The teacher left all the dishes on the table and stood up to approach the terrace that was still bearing a saiyan shaped crater at its center. Païkle followed him.

 

\- What about some battle projection ? We must sharpen that mind of yours.

\- With pleasure Sir.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Marble was floating a dozen of centimeters above the soft floor of her room, legs crossed in the lotus position and eye closed. She had managed to maintain her concentration for a while now. She was used to do it since she took interest in Piccolo. He was certainly one of the most interesting historical figure she ever studied. Not as strong as some other but he always had his place in the front-lane even though he was outmatched most of the time. In her earlier day of schools she had already taken the habit of meditating for hours on end. Ultimately it proved useful as she became way better at focusing her Ki. Although this time, it was way harder for her to concentrate. She had to push back the thought of the recent event. Her long time friend was acting cold for a reason that he wouldn’t even share. She guessed that It had to be about the fight they had yesterday but something else was off. It was frustrating, downright unfair. Her concentration broke with all those bad feeling she had and she fell on the floor with a soft thud.

She looked at the ceiling with a slightly drooping face. She could’ve laid down here for a good moment if she hadn’t picked up the tremendous energy coming from downstairs. It was Païkle without any doubt. One peek at the clock confirmed that and she got up in a jump, tapping her cheek to make her skin firm again.

When she climbed down the stairs Figuea and Païkle were standing right in front of the large wooden door, with Corrind and Kurogane in front of them. They were visibly waiting for her.

The Majin approached, expecting Païkle to concede his place to let her join their Teacher but said teacher pointed the saiyan and the arcosian with his chin, intimating her to join them. Once everyone was in line the elder spoke clearly.

 

\- So far I’m satisfied with what I saw. We’re half way there. But before we proceed with the next in line, Païkle wanted to say something to you all.

 

Concern and questions were raised by this statement. The Namekian stepped forward and position himself. What was he up to ? And out of all the things they imagined him to do, he simply bowed forward.

 

\- I’m sorry for my previous conduct. I should’ve thought less about myself and not be too quick on judging you.

 

Corrind’s eyes seemed like they could pop out of her skull at any moment, Kurogane was visibly surprised and Marble welcomed the apology with a smile. He pursued.

 

\- But I’m aware that there’s need for more than a simple apology to convince you. And if you were to refuse to work with me again I would go.

 

Corrind stepped forward and gently hand chopped him on the top of his head. The hit send a little shiver throughout his body and he straighten himself to look at her. She shook her head.

 

\- If you’re sorry then it’s cool. Don’t need to be over dramatic about it !

 

Marble got to her side and extended a hand to him. He looked at it before having a glimpse of a smile and shaking her hand earnestly.

 

\- Excuse accepted. _Said the Majin, replying to his smile._

\- Thanks. Good luck in there.

 

The Arcosian was now leaving the room while everyone was talking. Figuea picked up on that when he was about to climb the stairs but let him go. The other followed his gaze and noticed him right after. Corrind’s face turned red and she was angrily showing her teeth as she begun to walk toward the stairs. Marble raised an arm right in front of her. They exchanged a look and the Majin simply shook her head. The black haired woman growled with frustration but didn’t move any further.

Figuea had join the door when he called her next student to follow him. She walked to him without a word, now facing the door. She thought she would get intimidated upon being so close to it but she was not feeling any things more than curiosity. Her Teacher looked in wait of a response. She nodded firmly. As soon as the door opened she had to squint her eyes to not get solar flared by the sudden white light. More eagerly than the previous two, she stepped into the room. Because this was what she need, an intense training to clear her mind from all the things that was clouding it.

 

She needed to think about something else than how He was behaving right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	6. A lesson on self-trusting ! Marble's potential !

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marble time in the Chamber will unveiled all the doubts she harbors and had kept for herself up to this point.

It would be the fourth month passed in this chamber for him, and it was getting old. He had prepared mentally to stand the monotony of the landscape beforehand but the time he spent here was getting on his nerve. Fortunately each student he got in with added something new. They really had something inside of them. Talent was there, most of it was yet untapped but in a month and a half it was to be expected. Still, everything was on good tracks. This time it has been three weeks since the training regime of the pearly Majin begun.

A whole lot was to be unpacked. She seemed upset but really motivated. Figuea tried to get to the bottom of it several time but the young lady was pretty good at avoiding questions. Moreover it was apparent that she was diving to deeply into her training in a way that could be unhealthy. Sometimes he had to put a stop to it himself to convince her to get some sleep. Which was particularly weird considering the tendency Majins had to oversleep.

 

Besides all of that, it was clear she was above the other in term of ki manipulation.

 

She was at a level most trainee attained after a way longer period. She had talked to him about her regular meditation and combat projection session. He was pleased with it. Few trainees have the mentality to cultivate their minds as much as their bodies. In term of physical strength and durability her Majin biology was giving her a clear edge over basically everyone. Considering her enormous regenerative ability he had to kick the pace up a notch during sparring sessions. Contrary to Corrind who was Ki blast centric or Païkle who focused on utility technique she was more on the middle ground between them. More keen to engage in semi close combat and utilizing ki either reinforce her strike or to control the battle field. Elongating her arms to keep some distance and strike her teacher from far away. One day she even asked to be taught a specific move to the Elder while they were cleaning dishes.

 

\- Sir, do you remember the technique that Sauzer used ?

\- Sauzer… _He stroke his goatee while pondering._ Cooler’s henchman ?

\- Himself Sir. He was using a sort of ki sword and I thought it could complement my style really well. Do you have any way of teaching it to me ?

 

The veteran rinsed a plate, responding with a humming sound.

 

\- It’s not a technique I fancy but I know the basis of it. But why Sauzer’s version specifically ?

 

The majin’s face became more serious while she was drying the cleaned dishes with a towel.

 

\- Well Sauzer had a small blade around the hand, way easier to swing around and to maintain. Vegito’s blade can extend really far away but I highly doubt I can maintain such a length of Ki out of my body, plus it’s way better for me to elongate my arms rather than the blade. And Zamasu’s one is definitely useful considering the way it can morph but it’s way out of my league for the moment. I can’t even comprehend some of the thing Goku Black has done with it.

 

Figuea’s mouth opened a bit as she goes on. All of it was correct. Not only did she made a relevant choice concerning her combat style but she considered all possibilities with an actual self evaluation. With the lack of access to that kind of information here she must have had it in mind for quite a moment. He closed his mouth and nodded.

 

\- Good. Most trainee want to learn it only because it looks cool.

\- It does. But it’s also the best thing I could have in my arsenal as of now.

\- Then it is settled. I will teach it to you.

 

She smiled at him with honest joy. It was pretty good to see it and, ultimately, was a reminder of why he was loving his job. He wasn’t just teaching them stuff so they could fight against the lowest scum of the universe or repair the timeline. He was connecting with them on a personal level and getting attached to the trainee was a common occurrence among the teachers. After each day of training he was putting notes on a journal before heading to his bed, or sometime in the middle of the “night”. As much as it helped him clear his mind, it was a good way to keep track of the progression curve his students were going through.

In Marble’s case it was promising enough to allow them to take higher steps on the ladder around the final weeks. But there was something holding her back still. Her lack of rest was getting in the way and she was obviously upset about something even though she kept it under wraps. One day he decided to confront her when she would slip out of bed to train some more. Despite the interdiction she was under, Figuea knew she was going to do it. Not out of disobedience but to clear her head and to exhaust herself enough to sleep.

 

The day was spent focusing on learning this new technique and meditation before they headed to bed. He kept the same attitude as to not raise any suspicion and logged his record on his journal. The majin feigned to lie down to sleep and he did the same. Half asleep, he was keeping his sense sharp enough to pick her Ki if she were to move. And she soon did. It was faint but not enough for him to lose track. She was building some distances to not wake him up. A good intention in and of itself but this time was the last straw. It had to stop, for her own good. He lowered his power level and left an energy ball above his bed to simulate his presence. Getting up he slowly walked to the terrace and picked her signature around a couple of kilometers away. He put his right index and middle finger on his forehead, looking at the horizon in front of him. He pinpoint her location precisely and vanished from where he was standing.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

She made certain that the Elder was sleeping before hiding her presence. She then silently flew away and waited to be far enough from the building before landing. Now a little dot in the horizon, she looked at her hand and focused on it for a couple of second. A small gush of Ki formed a razor blade around her straightened hand and she swung it around a bit, making a swooshing sound as the blade cut through the air. It was not perfect and the consistence of the aura around her hand was a bit off, but it was a good start. It vanished and she stood there, immobile, for a couple of minute. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Inside her head she projected a silhouette. She took a stance and the silhouette took one as well: knees bent a bit to lower itself, one arm raised at head level to guard while the other was kept close to the chest in a position ready to strike. The silhouette gained a tail and its features got more defined. It got thinner, smaller in size. Now it was resembling the arcosian almost perfectly. She “looked” at him and launched herself forward to him, initiating a battle with an imaginary foe.

 

She had memorized everything about his fighting style down to his speed. A prowess done thanks to all the sparring session they shared together to prepare for their finals. He always had been an example to her. He wasn’t the strongest, nor the most cool-headed, but he had that genuine sense of caring if one was to dig deep enough. That’s what drove her to befriend him despite his usual grumpiness. She learned which topic to avoid, she knew what was susceptible to hurt him. At one point they got inseparable. They would always help each other to the better of their capabilities, in and outside of school. She discovered the smiling goofball hidden underneath that social awkwardness he was displaying around other. They got used to tease each other on various subject without offending or getting offended. To everyone around them they were like siblings. Before she ruined everything up. Païkle and his plan, the sheer coldness of it. She got angry at him. She forgot everything around her.

 

Even his friend that was stalling for them while they argue. Getting beaten.

 

She punched in front of her, putting all of her strength in it as self loathing built inside of her. To her surprise the fist connected. Not with thin air but with something. She opened her eyes and looked directly at the elder Saiyan who cupped her fist in his palm. He was not angry at her. He looked...concerned. The tension in her body released itself and she got limper. He let loose of her hand and she immediately swiped her eyes with her forearm. A vain attempt to hide something he already saw. He spoke in the most soft tone she ever heard from him.

 

\- Come on. Talk. It will help you.

 

She was avoiding eye contact, eyes to the ground, tucking her arms under her chest while grabbing her side. Figuea waited patiently for her to spit it out. She muttered some courage and spoke in a shaky voice.

 

\- Back then…”yesterday”… I did everything wrong, didn’t I ?

 

He remained silent. A shiver passed through her but she hold herself tighter. He broke his silence.

 

\- You are a smart girl. You know everything was not wrong. But I believe I can trust you to know what was.

 

She took a breath and nodded to him. She was really aware yes. And she felt every bit of guilt out of this realization. She moved one antennae out of her face to clear her view.

 

\- I fought with Païkle… I was so angry at him. With his plan… He didn’t know Kuro like I do and it felt… so unfair...So much for teamwork I guess…

 

She let out a short laugh, a forced one. To calm herself a bit.

 

\- When he apologized I tried to make it okay. Now I realized I forgot to apologize back to him… but I tried with Kuro…

 

She was finally opening herself. Figuea mobilized all his attention this time. Although he knew about what was bugging her for the most part. But her talking about it was important for her growth and her morale.

 

\- He became distant with me...And I know it’s because I let him down… Because I didn’t helped him. He thanked Corrind for coming to his aid and this was where I ticked. She did it while I was more concerned with being right over a stupid dispute.

 

Marble lowered her head, looking at her feet in shame.

 

\- And now… Now he refuse to even talk… And I’m afraid he may decide to leave because it would be my fault. I’m the only friend he accepted to have and I completely ruined it. I can become as good of a fighter as I want... I always mess those things up.

 

Her voice broke at the end and she stopped talking. It was supposed to be a simple test, a simulation. She never thought it could have such dire consequences for her. She felt a reassuring hand resting on her shoulder.

 

\- It would be his decision. But you can not say that you ruined it. You are both friends aren’t you ? Something so trivial cannot destroy such a precious bound. You may have disappointed him once but if that’s all he needed then he’s not a good friend. Do you believe that ?

 

She shook her head vividly. Although it was a rhetorical question considering how close they seemed to be it was no luxury to at least check. He let go of her shoulder and crossed his arms, smiling reassuringly.

 

\- Therefore he must have something that troubles him too. A problem he’s not ready to talk about yet. And in the time I will be with him I promise you to help him resolve it so you can talk things out for good. Okay ?

 

She muttered a frail thanks before wiping the forming tears in her eyes. This subject was addressed but the most important one was still unresolved. He lean a bit to look her straight in the eyes, taking a more serious tone while retaining a calm demeanor.

 

\- But the most important thing you have to know is that you can not beat yourself down like that. It is natural to feel guilty about things, to even doubt ourselves. Doubting can be a great way to see what we lack. But always doing so is detrimental in every way. All four of you have potential, great potential. But continue to ignore it and not trust yourself and you may never express it fully. Plus you will work in a team. And trust is the cement that keep everything in place. You must learn to trust other but also yourself. If you doubt yourself too much the trust that other put on you is wasted.

 

He marked a pause to let her digest everything he said. She raised her head and her sadness was gradually dissipating. His words were wise and they calmed her down effectively. The majin was now listening closely.

 

\- You must know yourself like the back of your hand. Learn how far you can go before you must stop, and stop. Later learn your limits before trying to push them, and push with everything you have. Cultivate it and this strength within you will truly be yours.

 

From what she saw at the academy, and through the multiple example in history, saiyans tended to get either overly cocky, drunk with power or careless in a lot of cases. Fellow student were having competition each and every time they could and were training the rest of the time. Example showed a lot of good hearted saiyans but every one of them had this sort of boiling unstability inside of them. Not a single one of them contempt with a calm routine, except when said routine led to a fight. They were well living even if a bit tribal, but it was in their nature to crave strength and excitement.

Figuea on the other hand was radiating with calmness and tranquility. He was putting a lot of effort during their training and he was often expressing his joy loudly. But he also was promoting her measure, balance in her emotions and actions. He never put more power than necessary in his attacks and never raised his voice without a reason. He was not to severe nor too laxest. The trademark saiyan pride was not showing at all through his words, as he always confessed his past wrongdoing to her to put her mistakes into perspective and guide her. Surely the wisdom of old age. However his many scars proved that he lived a dangerous and violent life. Maybe it was those experienced that built the man standing before her right now. She could only imagine what happened to him but she made a decision. She would strive to be like him, no matter how much pain or hardship she needed to go through. She hit her open palm with her fist and bowed slightly.

 

\- Thank you Sir. For everything.

 

He answered with a yawn, causing her to look at him with a perplex expression before succumbing to the infection nature of the sound. It was not that late in the “night” but all this emotions tired her and his teachers was used to a strict sleeping routine. She scratch the back of her head in embarrassment, being the reason why her slumber was interrupted.

 

\- We should go back to bed. We still have a lot to do.

\- Yes...Sorry about that.

\- Don’t worry. It needed to be done. Now you can rest easy… And so can I.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

They walked to the living room where the three other student were standing, visibly waiting for them. Corrind had the brightest smile and came to fist bump Marble who gladly responded. Figuea stayed behind to appreciate the attempt Paikle made at a thumps up, with his trademark poker face but not without honest intention. He became particularly observant when Kurogane approached her. First Marble seemed not to care, as for the other, as they were occupied with greeting the Majin. Maybe they expected him to not stop and go directly for the door.

Instead he stopped next to her and raised his hand to her. He stood there, hesitating before showing his palm to her. Marble looked at him, a bit taken aback at first. Corrind and Païkle took a step backward. Corrind especially was hoping for the Arcosian to stop his brooding and for Marble to regain her optimism fully. The frost demon talk first.

 

\- Wish me luck there, will you ?

 

Her blue pupils fixated themselves on the open hand for an instant. She slowly approached her and clapped her palm against his. A smile appeared on both of them, even briefly so for Kurogane.

 

\- Make him go super saiyan on you !

 

He would usually retaliate with something bu decided to simply chuckle a bit. It was unclear if he was not comfortable to do so with people around or if he was just willing to stay simple. Surprisingly he grabbed her hand softly which made the majin’s eye widen from the simple yet tender contact. Corrind wrinkled an eyebrow while the Namekian was contempt with observing.

 

\- Could I talk to you about….some things when I’m out of this ? You’re not obliged to do so after…. _He marked a pause, unable to find his next word_

\- Um y-yeah...I’ll be there to listen if you need me.

 

Still without looking at here he let go of her hand and took steps toward the wooden doors. Marble quickly took her hand with the other and stuffed half of her face into her scarf as to hide the pink tint covering her cheek. Her black haired friend rolled her eyes with a half smile while Païkle seemed to be confused. He leaned a bit toward her nearby comrade and whispered to her ear.

 

\- Did he squeezed her hand too hard ?

 

Corrind sighed, however halfway used to it.

 

\- It’s complicated.

\- Seems like it.

 

Figuea put a hand to the door knob and looked at the arcosian’s eyes. Kuro had to raise his head to reciprocate the gaze but put every once of determination in it. He nodded, his teachers nodded back and opened the door.

 

He was interrupted in his motion by a very distinctive sound. The teleportation bot spun rapidly and a bright light appeared next to it. It then morphed gradually into a defined silhouette. In mere seconds a person was standing in the living room. With a quick inspection it became clear that he was human. Wearing some kind of monk robe, a red clothing acting as a blindfold and metal plated gloves on his hands. His brown hair were cut short and his face was long and slim, with a pointy chin. The students picked up his aura and it felt almost as peaceful as their teacher. Figuea approached the newcomer and they shared a handshake and a smile. Then they whispered to each other, raising question among the four witnesses. Païkle could’ve easily eavesdrop on them but he restrained by pure respect from them, putting his little fingers in his ears. Such things both amused and frustrated Corrind which curiosity was tingling at the mysterious visitor. Plus it didn’t took long before Figuea turn to them and cleared his throat.

 

\- Okay people. Change of plan. At least for three of you.

 

The group gave them a concerned look and the Monk like figure took a few step to face them. He had a reassuring smile and begin talking with a faint voice.

 

\- Good evening everyone. My name is Hakir, another teachers. Happy to meet you all.

 

They reciprocated his greetings. He joined his hand in a metallic sound and continued. His voice took a more solemn intonation. Nothing at this point could’ve been announced with such a bad timing. Or it would seem as the news this monks look-alike brought with him imposed itself to them at the worst moment possible.

 

\- All three of you that completed their HTC session follow me. You have an immediate assignment to a rogue timeline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED


End file.
